Harry Potter and Dumbledore's Secret
by JamSack
Summary: Harry Potter gains access to the Headmasters’ pensive once again, when he begins questioning Dumbledore’s support. Why does he seem so distracted? OotP
1. Chapter 1

**Harry Potter and the Headmaster's Secret**

Summary: Harry Potter gains access to the Headmasters' pensive once again, when he begins questioning Dumbledore's support. Why does he seem so distracted? OotP

Disclaimer: Harry ain't mine, but Daniel is :D Yes that was a joke. Also I used a LOTR quote in there, it's not mine either. It's Tolkein's.

* * *

After several weeks of humming and hahing and the stubbornness of Ron Hermione and himself, Harry Potter was now standing in front of Dumbledore's office, waiting to be let in. He had just knocked and heard 'just a minute' coming from the Headmaster's deep voice. He could hear another voice, which sounded like Professor McGonagall's, though he couldn't discern what she was saying. 

Presently, the door opened and he stood aside to let McGonagall, who was holding a deep pink quill, past.

She stopped to speak to him, her cold grey eyes staring at him with annoyance in them. 'Goodnight, Potter. Professor Dumbledore.' She looked oddly at the silver-haired man who Harry saw was placing a memory in this pensive. After Professor Dumbledore had done so, he hastily closed the cabinet door. 'Harry, I have something further to discuss with Professor McGonagall. I'll escort her to her quarters and then come speak with you. Are you fine to wait here for five minutes?'

Dumbledore still wouldn't look at him. Harry nodded shortly, feeling angry that he was to be left waiting **again**.

They went away, and Harry feeling resentful, walked over to the cabinet and opened it, staring darkly in to the Pensive's contents. Maybe in there was the reason for Dumbledore's distractedness.

Harry thought about the last time he was in the pensive. It had been by mistake; he hadn't even known what it was. If he were to stick his wand in, it would be just the same as reading his headmaster's diary.

Harry took a step back, looking resolutely at the opposite wall. He stared confusedly at it. On the floor was a small coffee table with a chessboard on it, two big squashy purple cushions, a jug of what smelt like hot cocoa, and two used mugs.

What _was_ it that Professor McGonagall and Professor Dumbledore were talking about, or rather what they were doing. It didn't look like it was as important as what he was there for anyway, Harry thought hotly.

Without sparing another moments thought, Harry strode over to the pensive and stuck his want in it, feeling himself fall to the bottom.

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So: you like so far:) 


	2. Chapter 2

**Harry Potter and the Headmaster's Secret**

Summary: Harry Potter gains access to the Headmasters' pensive once again, when he begins questioning Dumbledore's support. Why does he seem so distracted? OotP

_Previously..._Without sparing another moments thought, Harry strode over to the pensive and stuck his want in it, feeling himself fall to the bottom.

* * *

Harry was in Dumbledore's office again: Dumbledore was there too, and Professor McGonagall also just coming through the door. Neither of them noticed him.

'Albus, I haven't seen you since breakfast. What have you been up to today?'

'Ah, Minerva,' he began as she walked over to the fire where the chess table was neatly laid out and assembled. 'Today I taught the 3rd year Ravenclaw's and Hufflepuff's their charms.'

'And were they very charming?' She asked, sitting down on the black side.

'They are not quite able to charm the wood of trees like you, Minerva.' Harry could see his Head of House blushing at the reference to the muggle phrase, much to his surprise.

'They are performing at an acceptable standard, however.' He sat down. 'Professor Flitwick has taught them well. I always knew I was smart to hire him.'

'And what about me?' She asked. 'Were you smart to hire me as your predecessor in Transfiguration?'

'I have never regretted it, Min.' He said firmly, leaning towards her. Albus Dumbledore made his first move.

Pawn, two spaces forward.

Minerva briskly moved her right black knight into play and it started, and Harry watched the game with interest.

The chess games between Ron and himself always ended quickly because he was so bad.

Professor McGonagall, he knew was a superb and enthusiastic player form the obstacle she created to protect the philosopher's stone.

Her moves were sharp and decisive and couldn't help but chuckle as he saw Dumbledore's pieces being obliterated, though he saw Dumbledore was a better player than he was.

A sly twinkle in the old man's eyes told Harry that he was playing unusually bad on purpose, a purpose that had yet to be revealed.

In another five minutes, McGonagall's queen was standing over his king, ready to give it to him, at her command. Minerva stopped. Albus waited. Harry held his breath.

Dumbledore's king bowed himself at the queen's feet and winked at its owner.

'Checkmate', said Dumbledore softly on Minerva's behalf.

Minerva laughed at him and conjured up some hot cocoa for them.

'Albus, I do like a challenge, you know. If you're going to keep playing so badly on purpose, I may have to find another chess partner. I hear Ronald Weasly is quite the champion in Gryffindor. Perhaps I should ask him instead.

Harry snorted loudly, gave a gasp of horror, and then realised they couldn't hear him, so he made himself comfortable on the couch and continued watching, taking far too much enjoyment in it.

'Minerva, just being your chess companion is not enough. I delight in our conversations more.'

Harry gave a confused stare at nothing in particular. What was his headmaster implying?

'It is hard for me to find peace in these troubled times', Dumbledore continued. Our friendship has given me that. He reached out to touch her cheek but pulled his hand back as if on second thought. 'Heaven knows you're the only thing keeping me sane.' Professor Dumbledore stood up abruptly and walked to the window, which showed, only a black cloudy night. It would start raining soon.

'Umbridge is taking over everything. I don't care about my Order of Merlin or place in the Wizengamot, but I do care about this school. If anything should happen to it or to me…' He turned to face her, his blue eyes looking at her intently.

'I know, Albus.'

Harry hates me; I know he's having a hard time, and I'm scared that instead of Harry possessing a snake, Voldemort will posses him.'

Harry nodded. He'd heard all this before. 'Severus tells me his occulumency lessons aren't going too well. I've been wondering if I should be teaching him instead…' He continued to ramble while Minerva quietly listened. Then he realised what he was doing and sat back down.

'I'm so sorry. It's not for me to place my troubles on you. 'Shall we begin a proper game?'

Minerva shook her head. 'I understand, Albus. Better than you think. There are so many things to think about, I often need a sleeping potion to put my thoughts at rest at night. More often than is probably healthy for me, I'm sure.'

'I think about you often.' Dumbledore said suprising himself, her and Harry.

Harry had never really considered the possibility of his headmaster having a family, wife, love, or anything of the sort, and here he was practically telling the deputy headmistress he cared for her a lot.

Hope flickered in her eyes. 'Albus, dwelling on these things... I know you wish it could all go away; all the responsibility, pressure and dealings. So do I. So do all who live to see such times, and you and many others are doing this a twice around. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us. And you have done more with that time than any of us.'

To Harry's utter embarassment, she slipped her hand into Dumbledore's. 'You have supprt, Albus. You have the school, Dolores can't take the essence of the school away. The students all love and respect you. Even Harry.' At this, Harry gave a cough.

'You have the support of the Order, and you have... and you have me.' Minerva raised his rough hand to her lips and kissed it.

'No more talk of this tonight, dear.' She continued to softly caress his hand.

'Min', he drew her hand to _his _lips and kissed it with such reverence that Harry had to turn away.

There was silence for a while, and he turned back around to see what had happened; which happened to be quite a shock for him.

His headmaster had managed to get his head of house's hair out of it's tight bun, and had put his hand in it while he was kissing her, gently, savouringly and respectfully. She was still holding tightly onto his hand, and her other was placed on his cheek. Harry stood frozen, hardly believing what he was seeing, but had consequentally lost control of all his senses and couldn't not turn away. He watched as his teacher, an old lady, for heaven's sake, kiss back almost frantically, like she had been wanting this a long time. Dumbledore egarly matched her fervour, and another five minutes passed before they stopped, and Harry found he could turn away as they caught their breath.

He could tell his face was bright red. The shame! Oh, the embarrassment! How on Earth did one get out of this thing? He definitley did not want the mortification of Dumbledore stopping his... activity, to pull Harr out of the pensieve like last time.

That would be too embarassing for words.

While Harry looked for a way out he heard them talk again. There was laughter and giggles and flirty coments that made Harry seriously feel like throwing up. The hell with it! He raised his wand and searched his mind for a spell.

'I love you, Minerva. I have for a long time.' As he said "ascendio" he heard the Professor say 'I love you', right back.

The spell had worked and Harry found himself once more in Dumbledore's office. This time he was alone and he took a look at his watch. He must have been in there for at least half an hour. Though he was incredibly grateful that he hadn't come any sooner, he was now beginning to wonder what was actually taking him so long, causing Harry's ears to turn even more red.

He closed the cabinet and looked at his surroundings, letting out an embarrased giggle when he saw the table with the chess pie es and the hot chocolate.

By the time his face had lessened in redness, Dumbledore came back. But as soon as he saw the man, his cheeks went read again, and that this would be a good time to learn how to self-discipline his mind.

'Sorry to keep you waiting so long, Harry. I didn't realise the time. Are you alright? You look flushed.'

He couldn't stand it. He had to get out of there. 'No, not really.' He fought the urge to giggle. 'You did take an awful long time to say goodnight to Professor McGonagall, Sir.' Harry felt immensly satisfied as his Headmaster blushed.

'It's very late, Sir and I'm rather tired. I can talk to you about this some other time. Goodnight.' Harry left Dumbledore in his office mildly confused and amused, and practically bolted to Gryffindor tower, trying not to think about the fact that Professor McGonagall was sleeiping in the apartment near there. It seemed that red was to be his permanant face colour tonight as he said ("Hershey's Kisses") to the Fat Lady and saw Ron and Hermione, sitting on the couch waiting for him. Ron's arms around her sholdours and hands entwined.

Whey they saw Harry they pulled apart and Hermione stood up egarly, asking 'Well what did he say?' Harry started to giggle. He stood there for five minutes, laughing to himself. He managed to get some words out though, 'I'll...tell..you... tomorrow.'

Hermione and Ron gave each other confused glances, but didn't wait for Harry to stop laughing and climbed the stairs to their seperate dormitories. Harry slumped onto the couch, still giggling; shocked and astounded at what he had seen in the pensive.

Oh Gosh! How was he going to face them tomorrow at the head of the breakfast table and in class! Harry gave antother fresh bout of laughter at the absurdity of it.

Well at least he knew why Dumbledore had been so distracted and distant this year.

_**End of Chapter**_


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